Purpose in the Body of Christ

You know what I think we all need to be talking about more? Purpose. Not purpose in life, but purpose in the Body of Christ. Every single Believer has purpose in the Body of Christ. Each one has gifts and has the capability to reach those in their current situation. I don't think you have to jump out of your vocational calling to be effective as a Believer. That is part of your calling. But we all have a message to give to the world. You are loved. You are forgiven. You are free. Jesus made sure of that. Once you cross from darkness to light, you have Jesus living on the inside of you. And He wants to say something to the world. Don't wait until you think you have crossed some illusionary line of readiness. Let people know they are loved now.

We are ambassadors of the Anointed One who carry the message of Christ to the world, as though God were tenderly pleading with them directly through our lips. So we tenderly plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Turn back to God and be reconciled to him.” For God made the only one who did not know sin to become sin for us, so that we who did not know righteousness might become the righteousness of God through our union with him.-2 Corinthians 5: 20-21 (The Passion Translation)

Jesus' Conversations with Women: The Water Jar

I have been thinking about the woman at the well that is found, in John 4. Mainly I have been thinking about her water jar. That water jar represented shame to her. The Bible says it was the sixth hour when Jesus sat down at the well. That would have been about noon. Then comes the woman to draw water.

Coming to the well at this time of the day would have been unusual. The job of drawing water was the job of a slave or women, and they would have done it earlier in the day when it was cooler, so this woman was coming to the well when she could avoid other people.

Her tone seemed a little sharp when she talked to Jesus, and we can tell that she was brave when speaking with Him. But she carried that shame because she avoided those who would shame her.

They have a conversation, she and Jesus, and discuss theological things. He offers her living water They discuss Jacob who built the well. His words tell her he knows her and what has happened to her in her life. And then they come to the most pivotal point.

Jesus tells her He is the Messiah. He reveals His true nature to her, and what He wants to do for her.

And she leaves her water jar.

She leaves the thing that is a representation of her shame. She lets it go, runs away, and tells other people about Him.

I believe, that when we all have a true encounter with the living Jesus, we will do the same. It will cause us to let go and leave our shame. We will leave all those things that have been holding us back, with Him, and we will run and tell others about Him.

He wanted her to come to know Him, That was His purpose in talking to her and still is His purpose with us.

The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”

Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”

The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him.-John 4:25-30 (NKJV) 

My prayer is that we would all continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Him,

Beth

Jesus' Conversations With Women: Martha and the Resurrection

Jesus had many theological conversations with women. For the last few days, I have been thinking about his dialogue with Martha in John 11. Martha gets a bad rap sometimes. We first see her in Luke 10, verses 38-42. In this chapter, she is making preparations for a meal, while her sister Mary sits at Jesus’ feet.

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”-Luke 10:38-42 (NKJV)
Luke's Gospel tells us she is distracted by much serving. The word distracted makes me think at some point she had been doing what Mary was doing, or perhaps it means that she also should have been sitting with her.

The next time we see her is in John chapter 11 after her brother Lazarus has died. She and Mary send a message to Jesus that Lazarus is sick, but he doesn’t make it there before Lazarus dies. When Jesus is getting ready to enter the village, Martha hears he is coming, and goes out to meet him. This is the dialogue that follows:

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”-John 11:17-27 (NKJV)

This is an amazing conversation and foundational to our lives as Believers. At the beginning of their dialogue, Martha expresses her pain that Jesus was not there when Lazarus was sick, but she goes on to demonstrate her faith in him.

Based on her words, it seems as though Martha has been transformed. No longer do we see the huffy woman in Luke 10 who is perturbed about all her serving. She is a new Martha. It seems as though she has been doing some sitting at Jesus’ feet as well, and she has become the Martha that she was always meant to be.

What caused the change in her? Maybe the answer is found in the conversation itself. They start out talking about Lazarus, but then switch to talking about who Jesus is!

When we first see her in Luke 10, she has her eyes on herself and all that she has to do. In John 11, she has her eyes on Jesus. He even goes on to teach her more in this moment. He switches her focus from in the future, to right now. Jesus says,

I am the resurrection and the life.

He is the resurrection (in the future) and the life (right now). Right now. In this moment. He is “I am.” The word life in that sentence is the Greek word “zoe.” Strong’s Concordance defines it as meaning “life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence.”

And then Martha confesses what ever person who has ever entered or will enter the kingdom has said in their heart and with their mouth,

Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.-John 11:17

She focuses her attention on Jesus now. In the moment. And then she receives a miracle. Jesus raises her brother from death.

Something else interesting to note is this event took place shortly before Passover. In John 12, we get to see Jesus and Martha together in Bethany again. Jesus would soon be entombed just as Lazarus was, and he would also be raised again! To prepare for this, Mary anoints Jesus’ feet, and we see Martha serving again. This time there is no protest to Mary being at the feet of Jesus again, just the accomplishment of peaceful service.

As we get ready to celebrate Resurrection Sunday, and always, let us remember to focus our attention on Jesus in the now. In our everyday lives, in each and every situation we face, may the words that He spoke to Martha, go deep down in our hearts,

I Am the Resurrection and the Life.

Many blessings to you as you continue to grow in the knowledge of Him,
Beth